TALE OF THE TAPE

MLB

In 2006, Barry Zito was the biggest free agent pitcher signing in MLB history. Eight Years later he’s trying out the team that originally drafted him, hoping for a chance to make a small fraction of his Giants contract. The veteran lefty says he’s playing now for the love of the game. A look at his pay cut will sure make you believe him. Check the numbers:

On February 11th, 1966 Willie Mays signed a $130,000 contract with the Giants. At the time, it was the highest in the league. Now the league MINIMUM is $500,000. How would Mays, one of the league’s all time greats, be paid if he were a free agent today? Let’s measure up.

It looks like Boston and San Francisco (the Bay Area, really) are among the U.S. finalists to bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics. LA, DC and San Diego are also in the mix, but were guessing the USOC is going to go for a winner, and if you’ve been watching sports over the last decade you know that those other cities can’t compete. So which team is the better sports town? That’s this week’s Tale of the Tape.

One team sells out every game and the other has to tarp off the top deck for home games yet fans still gets as loud as any in Major League Baseball. San Francisco Giants and Oakland A’s fans are as different as the cities they hail from, and that’s reflected in the promotional events the teams hold to pull in fans. So which team offers the better door prizes? We made that this week’s Tale of the Tape.